


it all burned down

by baichan



Category: Big Hero 6 (2014), Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magika | Puella Magi Madoka Magica
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-07
Updated: 2017-08-07
Packaged: 2018-12-12 13:21:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,512
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11737914
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/baichan/pseuds/baichan
Summary: His time might be short but at least, as a witch, he would be weak.





	it all burned down

His toes curl at the magical influx he feels - a 2 by 4 of dark and malevolent energy. Tadashi is in his bed sleeping peacefully and Hiro can't help the prayer that spills from his lips.

It's not from any religion known to man - only youth who have consigned themselves to death and immortality. At least until their grief consumes them.

His soul gem, in its cleanest state, is a bright red  _ fire,  _ and when it's swarmed with grief it's red like blood.  
  
  
  


He's not sure what life choices he made that led him to be laced up in a red corset with a long red skirt and a red bow in his hair, but he supposes his power to set fire on things with just a touch makes up for it. The tattered and burned, black cape is pretty cool too.

None of it really matters though as he reaches bare handed for a twisted creature - part metal, part mouse. This witch was one of the worst he’s ever faced and as he looks up a large metal hand is falling down. He tries to jump out of the way but his leg is caught and he gasps in pain.

Pain is such a simple word for what he feels. The tight burst of blood vessels exploding, skin mashing, bones grinding and snapping is indescribable and tears slip out, even as he touches the witch and burns her to the ground.  
  


 

Kyubey’s tail flickers as Hiro blinks back tears - it doesn’t hurt much anymore, not now while it’s healing.

Something rolls over to him.

“It’s going to take a lot of magic to heal  _ that  _ Hiro- _ chan _ ,” the incubator states.

Hiro’s head lolls to look at the grief seed at his side. With trembling fingers he picks it up and slips his hair ribbon undone. 

His soul gem is looking worse and worse and his wounds are healing slower and slower.

Kyubey stalks over to him, hatch open.

Hiro feels like he’s not just eating the grief seed.

 

He should tell Tadashi, is what he thinks as he looks over at his brother. 

It’s a bright day but the two boys are inside studying for midterms. Or, at least Tadashi was - Hiro knew his soul gem would not be able to sustain him for long. Kyubey had not hidden that from him. 

He was a weak magical girl. Tadashi’s death being the only hinge on him making a contract. He had little power. The only reason he could at all was because of Tadashi's potential to change the world. Despite that meaning his time was short, Hiro was glad that as a witch he would be weak.

  
  


Hiro dreams of a woman who could blend in with cherry blossoms in early bloom. She cradles his head on her lap and whispers sweet words to him. Her fingers twine with his as she reminds him of the blast from the fire, the grief he had had and how now his brother is alive and well and she would watch over him as if he were one of her magical girls.

It eases his turmoil.

 

He’s being destroyed - one arm already torn away, familiars surrounding him with their childish macabre. At that moment, he is sure, so so sure that he will die and Tadashi will never know what happened to him, will never know that he is dead because his body will be lost in a labyrinth.

He starts crying, even as he bites his lip trying to be brave. One of the birds soaring around him dive and his closes his eyes shut but -

Suddenly everything explodes in the loud noise of artillery and bombs.

Eyes snapping open he watches as black wings descend with heavy gunfire.

The new magical girl - because there is nothing else she could be - renders the witch to a grief seed in seconds. She grabs her spoil and then stalks over to him, heels tapping out an intimidating staccato.

She looks at him with blank purple eyes and then tosses the grief seed into his lap.

“... You’re turning soon,” she says and Hiro looks despondently down at the little trinket that his life now depends on.

Rummaging for his soul gem his heart practically stops when she says, “I’ll be there to kill you.”

When he looks up she’s gone and he’s shaking as he cleanses his soul gem.

 

“I’m going to die,” he says out of the blue in their shared room.

Tadashi laughs, “If you need help with homework just ask.”

It’s silent and Hiro wonders if he should laugh it off but he loses the chance when Tadashi starts to worry.

“Hiro?” 

Hiro blinks and looks him right in the eye, his soul gem - usually hidden from mortals sight - is now in his open palm.

“I’m going to die,” he repeats in all seriousness.

 

Tadashi ends up throwing the soul gem out of the window in denial and Hiro’s eyes are wide as his body slumps.

He wakes up to the girl from earlier standing over him, his head in her lap, but this is so reminiscent to his dreams with her pink hair ribbon that he can’t help the name that slips out like a prayer, “Madoka.”

The girl stiffens and then stands, barely taking care to not push him out of her lap as she strides to the door.

“Take more care of your soul gem,” she orders flippantly as she leaves.

Tadashi has red eyes and drying tear tracks as he looks helplessly at his brother.

“I’m sorry,” Hiro whispers.

 

Tadashi doesn't like it but when Hiro tells him of all the people he's saved Tadashi is proud. He runs his hand through Hiro's hair. Hiro is glad he doesn't know that he'll become a witch.

 

Tadashi followed him out tonight and Hiro wished he hadn't.

He gets impaled by thorns, flowers blooming. 

He burns it and then holds on - watches the witch as she crumbles to ash. The grief seed falls and so does the other magical girl.

She looks at Tadashi, "Leave."

Tadashi shakes his head and steps forward as Hiro writhes.

She glares at him, "Go!"

"He's hurt!"

It's not the hole in his abdomen that has him on the ground in pain. The other magical girl grabs his soul gem and it's not red - it's black.

He cries as she tries to clean it because it's not working and he can see Madoka but she can't reach him - can't get close to the city.

His souls gem breaks.

 

Homura Akemi watches as a witch takes the place of the young boy. 

She looks back at the boy's brother.

"Do you know what's happening?" She asks.

His eyes are wide.

"Your brother is gone. He's a witch now."

The Labyrinth closes around them. It's dark clouds and building rubble and flames. Large white marshmallow men waddle out and the brother whispers, "Baymax?" 

"Whatever you think they are, they are not," she tells him.

Tadashi looks at her, scared and confused.

She grits her teeth and looks away from him, "If you want to see him, follow me."

As they get closer the fire and rubble gets more and more. Homura shoots the white marshmallow men and then the little robots with crudely painted faces.

The wails start, cries and cries for Tadashi.

They're unsettling but Homura is used to it. 

"Ah!" A yellow circle cuts into her arm and she turns to see a woman in yellow armor. A man in teal armor with blades instead of hands, a taller woman with foam dripping from her hands, a lizard monster on all fours, flames falling from its lips.

The man behind her calls out, "GoGo? Wasabi?"

Homura's wings spread out behind her, "No," she says, "Whoever you think they are, they are not. They're just caricatures."

She leaps forward and shoots them down, dropping bombs in her path.

The witch screams in agony and pops up once the last of them have fallen. It's Hiro, his skin black, eyes red and flames licking up his body. He's tied to a stake.

Homura gives a prayer to Madoka and apologizes for her failure before taking him down.

She cradles the grief seed he drops.

She tosses it to who she assumes is Tadashi.

"That's all that's left of him."

He's shaking, tears streaming down his face, "I don't understand."

Homura has nothing to say to him. That devastated look on his face is nothing new to her. 

Something ripples above and the field that the incubators had created to block out Madoka is lowered and she descends from the heavens.

She falls in front of Tadashi and hovers her hands in front of the grief seed. 

The boy - Hiro - falls from it and into her hands. She cradles him gently and then looks at Tadashi.

"He'll be in a better place," she tells him earnestly, gold eyes dripping with wisdom and innocence. 

Then she turns to her, "Thank you, Akemi."

Homura lowers her head as she leaves her.

**Author's Note:**

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